Um, what? Nicolas Winding Refn, the guy who gave us uber-violent/erotic projects such as Drive, The Neon Demon, and Too Old to Die Young…is making a children’s television series.
I’m sorry, this can’t go well, can it?
THR reports Refn is the creator and producer of The Famous Five, based on the series of adventure novels and short stories by author Enid Blyton. The stories follow the wild adventures of Julian, Dick, Anne, George and their dog Timmy, as they face criminals and seek lost treasure.
The series is being developed for BBC and German public broadcaster ZDF. Tim Kirkby (Action Point, The Pentaverate) will direct from a script co-written by Matthew Read, Priya K Dosanjh, and Matthew Bouch. There have been multiple adaptations of The Famous Five, including audio adaptations, TV shows, and movies, the most recent one in 2012.
“All my life I’ve fought vigorously to remain a child with a lust for adventure,” Refn said. “By reimagining ‘The Famous Five,’ I am preserving that notion by bringing these iconic stories to life for a progressive new audience, instilling the undefinable allure and enchantment of childhood for current and future generations to come.”
“Reimagining”, eh? I wonder if by that Refn means he’s going to fill these child-like stories with brutal, bloody beatings or rampant displays of sexual deviance.
